arrest him, but luckily
he did not have to find out.
“ Rallen,
sheathe your weapon!” bellowed a loud man from behind the gate who had come to
see what all of the commotion was about. “Do you know who this boy is? He is
the one that helped the captain kill that ogre. At the very least I think we
can hear what he has to say.”
“ Sorry,
sir, I did not know-” the obstinate guard began, but Byrn wasn't about to give
the man an inch.
“ You
did know,” Byrn said making sure the other guard could hear, “I told you that I
was the one that helped with that ogre. It chased me halfway across the blasted
city and you called me a liar!”
“ Enough,
lad,” said the wiser guardsman, “Know when you have won and leave it at that.”
He unlocked the gate from the inside allowing Byrn to enter who quickly hurried
past the outer guard, Rallen.
“ Come
with me. I will take you to the knight-captain,” said the wiser guard. He was a
middle-aged man with some girth to him that was every bit muscle as fat. “I am
Lieutenant Mikael Hawkscrest. It sounds like the end of the world from your
carrying on. What is this about?” He led Byrn inside into the central hall of
the keep leading to a spiraling stone staircase.
“ I
am Byrn Lightfoot... apprentice courier to Master Tannys Lightfoot. I was
directed to ensure that Knight-Captain Kellen received this request... and no
one else. Sorry, I can not say more.”
“ No
need to apologize. It is not the first time the captain has received a secret
message since joining the guard.”
The
two ascended the spiral staircase. Four flights up the pair left the stairs and
Mikael led Byrn to a door at the end of the hall. Mikael banged on the door.
“Knight-Captain Kellen, it is Mikael Hawkscrest. There is a young man out here
with a message for you.”
“ Send
him in,” Kellen's voice was muted from behind the door, but Byrn could still
hear him clearly. Gods, this day has taken him surprising places. Not for the
first time he wondered what he had gotten involved in.
Kellen
was sitting at a desk looking over a ledger when Byrn entered. His iconic armor
hung up against a nearby wall. The warrior was visibly surprised to see Byrn,
but that surprise was quickly replaced by a warm smile and a friendly greeting,
“I certainly did not expect to see you so soon. Byrn, is it?”
“ Yes,
knight-captain,” Byrn nodded.
The
captain motioned for Byrn to sit in a chair opposite his desk and the boy
complied. “Now, what brings you to see me? Have you come to join the guard or
is this just a social visit?”
“ Unfortunately,
neither. I have come to deliver a message and make a request... on behalf of my
new master, Sane.”
Kellen
was startled a little and sat up straight in his seat, but his smile did not
falter at all. The courier now had his full attention. “Mikael, please leave
us. I wish to speak to this young man alone.” The lieutenant did as he was
asked closing the door behind him leaving the two alone. “So you are Sane's
apprentice. I was unaware he had taken one.”
“ Until
a few hours ago he had not. He said my apprenticeship was a reward... for
saving your life,” said Byrn. Kellen cocked an eyebrow at this statement
obviously not remembering the fight going that way, but he grinned as if amused
and Byrn continued, “To be honest, I am a little relieved that you know him. I
half thought that he was some crazy priest who took me along for the ride.”
“ Far
from it,” said Kellen, “He is one of only a few magicians that can walk freely
in the kingdom. We fought together against the magi rebellion years ago before
he became an adviser to the king and I settled down here.
“ But
you did not come here to listen to me reminisce about days gone by...”
“ Sane
asked me to tell you that he saw something- a vision of the future,” Byrn
paused to see if Kellen would balk or show some sign of surprise. When there
was none he continued, “This morning he
he did not have to find out.
“ Rallen,
sheathe your weapon!” bellowed a loud man from behind the gate who had come to
see what all of the commotion was about. “Do you know who this boy is? He is
the one that helped the captain kill that ogre. At the very least I think we
can hear what he has to say.”
“ Sorry,
sir, I did not know-” the obstinate guard began, but Byrn wasn't about to give
the man an inch.
“ You
did know,” Byrn said making sure the other guard could hear, “I told you that I
was the one that helped with that ogre. It chased me halfway across the blasted
city and you called me a liar!”
“ Enough,
lad,” said the wiser guardsman, “Know when you have won and leave it at that.”
He unlocked the gate from the inside allowing Byrn to enter who quickly hurried
past the outer guard, Rallen.
“ Come
with me. I will take you to the knight-captain,” said the wiser guard. He was a
middle-aged man with some girth to him that was every bit muscle as fat. “I am
Lieutenant Mikael Hawkscrest. It sounds like the end of the world from your
carrying on. What is this about?” He led Byrn inside into the central hall of
the keep leading to a spiraling stone staircase.
“ I
am Byrn Lightfoot... apprentice courier to Master Tannys Lightfoot. I was
directed to ensure that Knight-Captain Kellen received this request... and no
one else. Sorry, I can not say more.”
“ No
need to apologize. It is not the first time the captain has received a secret
message since joining the guard.”
The
two ascended the spiral staircase. Four flights up the pair left the stairs and
Mikael led Byrn to a door at the end of the hall. Mikael banged on the door.
“Knight-Captain Kellen, it is Mikael Hawkscrest. There is a young man out here
with a message for you.”
“ Send
him in,” Kellen's voice was muted from behind the door, but Byrn could still
hear him clearly. Gods, this day has taken him surprising places. Not for the
first time he wondered what he had gotten involved in.
Kellen
was sitting at a desk looking over a ledger when Byrn entered. His iconic armor
hung up against a nearby wall. The warrior was visibly surprised to see Byrn,
but that surprise was quickly replaced by a warm smile and a friendly greeting,
“I certainly did not expect to see you so soon. Byrn, is it?”
“ Yes,
knight-captain,” Byrn nodded.
The
captain motioned for Byrn to sit in a chair opposite his desk and the boy
complied. “Now, what brings you to see me? Have you come to join the guard or
is this just a social visit?”
“ Unfortunately,
neither. I have come to deliver a message and make a request... on behalf of my
new master, Sane.”
Kellen
was startled a little and sat up straight in his seat, but his smile did not
falter at all. The courier now had his full attention. “Mikael, please leave
us. I wish to speak to this young man alone.” The lieutenant did as he was
asked closing the door behind him leaving the two alone. “So you are Sane's
apprentice. I was unaware he had taken one.”
“ Until
a few hours ago he had not. He said my apprenticeship was a reward... for
saving your life,” said Byrn. Kellen cocked an eyebrow at this statement
obviously not remembering the fight going that way, but he grinned as if amused
and Byrn continued, “To be honest, I am a little relieved that you know him. I
half thought that he was some crazy priest who took me along for the ride.”
“ Far
from it,” said Kellen, “He is one of only a few magicians that can walk freely
in the kingdom. We fought together against the magi rebellion years ago before
he became an adviser to the king and I settled down here.
“ But
you did not come here to listen to me reminisce about days gone by...”
“ Sane
asked me to tell you that he saw something- a vision of the future,” Byrn
paused to see if Kellen would balk or show some sign of surprise. When there
was none he continued, “This morning he
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